Lady Sandite Volleyball knocks off No. 10 Union in beautiful upset

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 10 ranked Union Redskins (5-5) probably expected little competition from the No. 17 Sand Springs Lady Sandites (13-9). Union’s only losses before their journey to Sand Springs were to top-ten teams. Unfortunately for them, the Sandites’ ranking is misleading.

The Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team had recently gone 2-4 at the Broken Arrow Invitational, but that record doesn’t show that they were one of only two teams there to win even a single set against No. 2 Norman North (12-2). It also doesn’t show that six of the ten games they lost were by five points or less.   

The Redskins got off to a fast start on the Sandites in the first set before giving up three points on errors. Madison Burris and Gloria Mutiri combined on a block to tie things up at 4-4 and Mutiri scored a kill for the lead.

Union went on a five-point run from there, but the Sandites won eight-straight rallies to reclaim the advantage. Mutiri and Holly Kersgieter each scored several kills off Burris and Lee Leslie, and Madison Ward scored the first ace of the game.

The Sandites were up 16-11 when Union went on another streak. Kendall Cotter scored a pair of aces, Gabbie Inman and Paris Hornor both registered kills, and the Redskins took the 19-16 lead before freshman Devree Youngblood broke the streak with a spike off Burris. Union continued to outscore Sand Springs till a 24-19 score looked like they had it all wrapped up.

The Sandites had other plans.

Mutiri scored off Kenzie Bradshaw, Kylie Taylor served an ace, Ashley Barrows gave up a point on an error, and MaKenzie Ward set up Mutiri to narrow the score to 24-23. Barrows scored a kill to win the set for Union, but the Sandites had shown they were here to play.

The second set was far closer and neither team allowed the other to go on a run this time. The longest scoring-streak either team managed was four rallies. The game was tied up six different times, but the Sandites led six different times and only allowed the Redskins to lead once.

Union tied things up at 15-15 with a kill from Chloe Click, then took the lead on a pair of errors. They held the advantage for only five rallies before giving it up on an error at 18-18 and never recovered. Mutiri took the lead at 20-19 off a set from MaKenzie Ward, Kersgieter served an ace, then scored again after a Union time out. The final minutes were back-and-forth on scoring, but Sand Springs never relinquished the lead and ultimately won 25-23 on a kill from Mutiri.

The third game belonged explosively to the Sandites. After giving up the first three rallies to Union on errors, the Sandites tied things up at 4-4 and took the lead with back-to-back aces from Burris. Union never tied it and never even got close to leading again.

The Sandites scored seven aces in the third game: two from Burris, two from Kersgieter, two from Kendall Wise, and one from Mutiri. The host team had doubled down on their visitors 22-10 midway through the game. The Redskins tried to rally, but they were too far in the deficit and Sand Springs won 25-17.

The visitors found their feet in the fourth game and led for most of it. Sand Springs battled heavy in the last minutes and got within a few points, but Union prevailed 25-22 to force a fifth set.

The final game started off a tad rocky for the Sandites with some communication errors and campfires, but after tying it up at 5-5 with a kill from Mutiri, the Sandites took the lead and never looked back. Kersgieter scored the go-ahead point, Mutiri and Leslie combined on a block, Hornor committed an error, Mutiri added another kill, and Mutiri and Leslie combined on yet another block for the 10-5 lead.

The next five points were decided by errors and the Redskins closed the gap to 12-9 with a tipped ball from Inman. Kersgieter almost saved a shanked dig that went OB, but the ball caught the antenna for the point. Morgan Livingston hit an ace, and the Redskins threatened at 12-11.

Union got into the net on the next rally and Wise served an ace to make it 14-11. A four-touch call gave Union a point, but MaKenzie Ward set up Youngblood for the game-winner.

Mutiri led the Sandites in scoring with twenty-nine kills, five blocks, and two aces, followed by Kersgieter with a season-best fourteen kills, two assists, and four aces. Youngblood was next in on the action with a season-best ten kills, and Wise also scored a season-best with five kills and four aces. Burris had her best night of the season with nineteen assists, followed by MaKenzie Ward with eighteen.

The Lady Sandites will get a full week off after playing twenty matches in twenty-one days. They’ll return to action next Tuesday in an away match at Owasso. Owasso is ranked fifth in 6A with a 4-0 record. Freshmen begin play at 4:00 p.m., Junior Varsity is at 5:00 p.m. and Varsity is at 6:00 p.m.

Lady Sandites drop straight sets to Bartlesville at BA Tournament

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 18 ranked Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (11-8) is 1-3 at the Broken Arrow Tournament after dropping their first match of the silver bracket Saturday morning. 

The Lady Sandites got off to a great start in the first set against the No. 20 Bartlesville Bruins (3-7) with a 7-0 lead. MaKenzie Ward set up Devree Youngblood for the opening kill and Holly Kersgieter scored an ace on the side out. Lee Leslie scored a pair of kills and Gloria Mutiri added one as well.

The Sandites gave up a pair of points on errors, but Madison Burris and Mutiri scored on a pair of blocks to make it 10-2. Mutiri followed up with a pair of solo blocks soon after, but the Bruins finally started to compete. 

Sand Springs gave up a point on an illegal block and the Bruins capitalized with an ace. That gave them the momentum they needed to surge towards a 25-19 finish. 

The second set was competitive from the get-go, though the Sandites did lead for much of it. The Bruins took the lead at 10-9, but Mutiri and Leslie combined for a block to tie it up. Bartlesville regained the lead right after on a consecutive touch call and never relinquished it from then-on. They won that set 25-21. 

The third set was marred by communication errors, but the Sandites still managed to hang tight. Bartlesville won that one 25-20 to sweep the match. 

Mutiri led in scoring with eleven kills and give blocks, followed by Kersgieter with six kills and two aces. Ward registered eight assists and Burris had seven. 

The Sandites will return to action at noon against the winner of Moore (1-11) vs No. 15 Southmoore (3-4). 

Lady Sandites fall 3-1 despite valiant effort against #3 Norman North

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 18 ranked Charles Page High School varsity volleyball team (10-8) met their match in the No. 3 Norman North Timberwolves (10-2) Friday afternoon at the Broken Arrow Tournament. It took the Sandites two games to find their rhythm against one of the most aggressive teams they’ve met this season.

Norman North utterly dominated the first two sets 25-7 and 25-8. Sand Springs managed to tie the first game 2-2 with a block combo from Gloria Mutiri and Lee Leslie, but the Timberwolves ran away with the next six rallies before Mutiri found a set from Mackenzie Ward for the kill. Norman grabbed five more points from there, gave up one on an error, then stole four more for a 17-4 lead. The Sandites only scored three more points, all of which came from errors.

In the second set the Timberwolves exploded to 9-1 before Leslie set up Holly Kersgieter for the kill. Leslie scored a kill off Ward, then combined on a block with Mutiri at 14-4. Mutiri added an ace and Kenzie Bradshaw scored a kill, but the Timberwolves coasted safely along for the win.

The Lady Sandites found their footing in the third game and doubled down on the Timberwolves for an early 8-4 lead thanks to kills from Mutiri and a block from Kenzie Bradshaw. Norman battled back with kills from Hallie Hembree, Lexi Thompson, and Maggie Davis, then tied things up at 9-9 as Davis and Lauren Kersey blocked a Mutiri spike. 

The teams fought back and forth for the lead and eventually Norman pulled away as far as 18-13 with a kill from Hembree, but the Sandites got back within a point thanks to a Bradshaw kill, Mutiri block, and Lee ace. Thompson found Abbey Woodrow's set for a kill, but Mutiri scored three straight with a kill and two solo blocks, capped off by a Baylee Mudd ace for the 21-19 lead. Ward set up Mutiri for back-to-back kills to solidify the win at 25-20.

The fourth set started with promise as neither team posted a three-point lead till halfway through the game. After Ward set up Kersgieter for a kill to tie it at 8-8, Norman went on a run with six straight rallies before handing the ball over on a serve error. The Sandites were unable to capitalize on the side-out and the Timberwolves went back to piling on the kills for a 25-12 victory. 

Mutiri led the Sandites with nine kills and seven total blocks, including three solo. Bradshaw and Kersgieter each added three, and Leslie, Madison Burris, and Mudd each scored two.

Sandites place fifth in Broken Arrow Tournament, Pennington homers in 3-1 win over BA

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School varsity softball team (5-3) let their bats fly against Broken Arrow Saturday evening at the Arrowhead Softball Complex. Felicity Horn, Sydney Pennington, and Jacie Taber all hit doubles and Pennington added a home run in a 3-1 victory over the tournament's host team. 

After going 3-2 in pool play, the Lady Sandites found themselves competing against the Lady Tigers for fifth place in the sixteen-team tournament. The Sandites defeated Choctaw, Putnam City North, and Edmond North, but lost to Owasso and Durant. Owasso won the tournament.

Sophomore Jacie Taber (2-1) got the win on the mound, giving up six hits against one strikeout. 

Horn, a freshman, got on base in the first plate appearance of the game with a line drive double into left field, and advanced to third on a single from Pennington, but both were left stranded.

The Lady Tigers stranded one in both the first and second innings and threatened heavily in the bottom of the third. Mary Collins and McKenzie Carney singled and Aleigha Brown reached on an error to load the bases with one out. The Sandites pulled out of the tight spot, however, as Pennington caught a fly ball in foul territory and Kimi Presnell scooped up a groundball from Abby Parks to put the runner out at first.

Pennington got the Sandites on the board in the top of the fourth with a lead-off homer, her first of the season. In the top of the sixth, Sabrina Usher reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a double from Taber. Pennington doubled in the seventh to score Jessica Collins. Mary Collins put Broken Arrow on the board with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the seventh, but the next three batters flied out and Sand Springs secured the win.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Tuesday at home with a double-header against Norman beginning at 5:00 p.m. The Highway 97 Rivalry match-up will be a double-header Thursday at home, also at 5:00 p.m.

Sydney Pennington rips Putnam North from the mound, Sandites win 3-1

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

Senior Oklahoma State University-commit Sydney Pennington (1-0) needed a few at-bats to warm up her pitching game Friday, but once she got going she was unstoppable. Pennington pitched seven strikeouts, gave up only four hits, and scored a run to lead the Charles Page High School varsity softball team (3-2) to victory at the Broken Arrow Tournament Friday evening.

The Lady Sandites split the first two games of the day, falling 2-1 to the eventual tournament champions from Owasso, but getting revenge on last year's State Champions with a 4-1 victory over Choctaw. Choctaw defeated Sand Springs 4-3 in the State Finals last year. 

The Putnam City North game was a slow starter for both teams as Felicity Horn and Rachel Blair struck out swinging in the first inning. Pennington walked Lorren Kromer in her first appearance on the mound this season and gave up a single to Steffany Dickerson before finding her groove and striking out Meridee Lawson. 

Senior Jessica Collins registered the first hit of the game for the Sandites in the top of the second but was left stranded. The Lady Panthers nearly got on the board in the bottom of the third. Kromer hit a single, advanced to second as Lawson was walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was caught stealing home to end the inning. 

The Sandites broke their dry spell in the top of the fourth as Pennington singled on a hard ground ball into left field. Madelyn Blair hit what should have been a sacrifice bunt, but an overthrow error to first gave Pennington enough time to clear home plate and Blair reached second. Jacie Taber hit a single to advance Blair to third, and freshman Sabrina Usher brought them both home with a single of her own for the 3-0 advantage.

The Lady Panthers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as Sydni Gibbs reached second on an error, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an error that allowed Maleina Fortin to reach first. Fortin nearly scored but was tagged out at home by Horn.